A shield or suit of armor with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.

Champion: This armor property only works for good creatures with the challenge ability (such as cavaliers) or the smite evil ability (such as paladins, half-celestials, and creatures with the celestial creature template). When worn by such a creature that uses a challenge or smite ability, the wearer gains a +2 sacred bonus to AC against attacks from the chosen opponent.

Dastard: This armor property only works for evil creatures with the challenge ability (such as cavaliers) or the smite good ability (such as antipaladins, half-fiends, and creatures with the fiendish creature template). When worn by such a creature that uses a challenge or smite ability, the wearer gains a +2 profane bonus to AC against attacks from the chosen opponent.

Determination: A shield or armor with this property provides the ability to fight on against seemingly impossible odds. Once per day, when the owner reaches 0 or fewer hit points, the item automatically provides a breath of life spell.

Righteous: Armor with this property is often engraved or enameled with religious symbols. On command once per day, the wearer can invoke an effect, as per the spell righteous might, lasting for 10 rounds. Righteous armor is always aligned toward good (positive energy), for the effects of righteous might. Righteous armor bestows one permanent negative level on any evil creature attempting to wear it. The negative level remains as long as the armor is worn and disappears when it is removed. This negative level cannot be overcome in any way (including by restoration spells) while the armor is worn.

Unrighteous: This armor is often sculpted with unholy symbols. On command once per day, the wearer can invoke an effect, as per the spell righteous might, lasting for 10 rounds. Unrighteous armor is always aligned toward evil (negative energy), for the effects of righteous might. Unrighteous armor bestows one permanent negative level on any good creature attempting to wear it. The negative level remains as long as the armor is worn and disappears when it is removed. This negative level cannot be overcome in any way (including by restoration spells) while the armor is worn.

Each metal bit of this suit of +1 studded leather looks more like a tiny sneering face than a simple stud. Once per day the wearer of the armor may command the mouths to unleash a torrent of verbal abuse directed against every hostile creature within 60 feet who can see and hear the wearer. Each such creature must make a DC 16 Will saving throw to avoid suffering an overwhelming compulsion to attack the wearer for the next 7 rounds. If the creature is unable to attack the wearer on its next turn, or attacking the wearer would put the creature at risk (moving through a threatened square, charging into a pit, and so on) it can act normally that turn. This is a mind-affecting sonic effect, and has no effect on creatures that do not use a spoken language.

This suit of +1 leather gives its wearer the ability to twist and contort his body in virtually any direction. He gains a +5 bonus on Escape Artist checks, a +5 bonus on Acrobatics checks to reduce damage from falls, a +5 bonus to CMD, and DR 5/piercing or slashing.

This +1 breastplate is made of bluish metal and decorated with wave motifs. It allows the wearer to continually utilize the effects of the spell water walk. If a creature puts on the armor while underwater, the wearer is borne toward the surface at a rate of 60 feet per round.

The silvery sheen of this +1 half-plate causes it to sparkle in even the faintest light. At will, the wearer can command it to shine with a daylight spell for 10 minutes. Once per day, the wearer can command it to shine as per the sunburst spell.

This item normally looks like a heavy steel brooch or cloak clasp, often depicting a heavy helm or sturdy shield. On command, the brooch transforms in a clatter of metallic plates and panels to instantly cover the wearer in a complete suit of +1 full plate, with the design of the brooch displayed on the armor's breastplate. The same command word causes the armor to transform into the brooch. The brooch only transforms if the wearer's armor slot is unoccupied, thus it won't work if the wearer is already armored.

Every inch of this suit of +1 banded mail bears a defaced holy symbol or a design equally offensive to one or more gods and their servants. The wearer of the armor cannot cast divine spells or use any spell-like supernatural ability gained from a connection to a deity. The wearer gains SR 19 against any divine-origin spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability (such as a domain granted power or ability from an outsider serving a deity), and treats the armor's enhancement bonus as +2 higher against creatures with these abilities.

This drooping, many-folded suit of +3 hide armor is made from the tanned skin of an actual giant. Once per day on command, the wearer can grow to match the size of the appropriate giant, as if using giant form I (ogre, troll, hill giant, stone giant, fire giant, or frost giant) or giant form II (cloud giant or storm giant). This transformation lasts up to 15 minutes, and ends when the wearer commands. Most good folk consider wearing the skins of intelligent creatures to be abhorrent. Giants gain a +2 morale bonus on attack and damage rolls against the wearer, or +4 if the wearer's armor is made from the same kind of giant as the attacker.

The fine links of this +1 chain shirt form a pattern of roiling clouds. On command once per day, the wearer can transform it into thick fog that fills his space and provides concealment (20% miss chance). This mist moves with the character. Effects that disperse the mist or destroy it cause the armor to reform into its solid shape on the character's body, as does speaking the command word or entering a place where the fog-magic doesn't function (such as underwater). If the character tries to don another suit of armor while the mistmail is in fog form, it reforms at the character's feet.

This silk +1 shadow padded armor is as dark as night and stitched with thread the color of dried blood. When worn by a rogue with the bleed talent, it increases the bleed damage of the rogue's sneak attacks by +1.

This +1 chainmail is attuned to a particular oracular mystery and contains a revelation associated with that mystery (see the oracle class description). While wearing the armor, an oracle has access to that revelation and may use it as if she had it as a normal class feature. The oracle must have the appropriate mystery to use the armor; for example, a soothsayer's raiment (battlecry) is only usable by an oracle of battle. If the wearer already has that revelation and the revelation gives an ability with a limited number of uses per day, the oracle can use that ability one additional time per day. This ability has no effect if worn by a non-oracle.

For divination spells with a percentage-based chance of success (such as augury and divination), the wearer's chance increases by +5.

Once per day on command, this +2 tower shield can transform into a solid, 10-foot by 10-foot by 1-foot wall of masonry with a battlement on top and an arrow slit in each 5-foot length. The wall acts as cover just like any physical wall. The wielder can touch the wall with one hand and command it to revert to a tower shield either resting on the ground and balanced against his hand or strapped to his arm in the normal fashion. The wall has all the characteristics of any other foot-thick wall of masonry (hardness 8, 90 hit points, break DC of 35). Attacks sufficient to destroy the wall cause it to immediately transform back into a shield, which loses half its hit points and gains the broken condition. The shield remains in wall form until destroyed or commanded to return to shield form. The wall cannot appear in a space too small to accommodate it.

The wearer of this +1 tower shield may, as a full-round action, transform the shield into a 1-inch thick cube of iron that springs into being around him, completely enclosing his space. The cube has hardness 10 and 30 hit points per side. This cube grants the wearer total cover against everything outside the cube, including (as it is perfectly sealed) swarms and gas attacks. The inside of the cube is dark, and air cannot get in or out so the wearer must hold his breath starting on the third round after activating the cube. Attacks sufficient to destroy one side of the cube cause it to immediately transform back into a shield, which loses half its hit points and gains the broken condition. Otherwise, the cube reverts to shield form upon command, if the wearer moves from his current space, or the wearer falls unconscious or dies.